Stolen Voices ✓

June 15th

Yet Elias can't describe much about Mara's family other than their names. He can tell you facts of her personality, but not the darkness that consumes her in the middle of the night. He knows only what he sees because, in reality, she doesn't tell him much about herself.

"That's rich, seeing as you were the one who kissed me last week," she grits out, waving her hands in annoyance. She stands up, puffing her cheeks as she slings her backpack over her shoulders. Elias fits in laughter, watching her departure with a smirk.

She only makes it a few steps before heated fingers wrap around her wrist, pulled into a solid chest. Falling into his side, she huffs at the way her body instantly feels relaxed under his embrace. How submissive she is just to his words, the way his deep voice makes her stomach twist into a fit of butterflies.

"Traveling is a little extreme," Elias says, "and expensive."

"It's not like I don't have money," she revenges, shaking her head. She is annoyed with the way she lets him hold her, his hands twisting into her hair. Like she is cast under his spell, unable to escape his enchantment.

"Why don't you just do something less big. Obviously, you're doing this to spite your mother," he snickers, dragging his fingers down the side of her face. He mindlessly traces her collarbone, ignoring the loud chatter just feet away and the way she reacts to his touch. Goosebumps, pricking her exposed skin as she bites her lip. 

She kicks the door closed, their words now sealed in the tight chamber. Their voices grow lower, just above a hushed whisper as she moves to sit on his lap, curling into him. He takes the opportunity to sit in one of the desk chairs, his hand on her lower back.

"God that woman has it out for me," she whines. "I swear, she loves to see me miserable," Mara shakes her head. She and Genevieve had an exchange early about Mara's lack of participation in the family. She had laughed, her chest heaving as she yelled back at her mother. Her voice horse while she raged, her fits balled at her sides in annoyance.

Her father is quite obviously seeing another woman, but her mother just ignores the situation. She figures it would go away eventually, but Mara uses it as ammunition. She is the youngest child, left out of important things, she's learned to sneak in on conversations. Her mother was quite mad at Mara's retort, the way she spits out her father's obvious mistress.

"Then do something less chaotic," Elias persuades, his hands tracing down to her hips. He taps her hipbone two times as she wraps her arms tighter around his neck.

The air around them grows thick with tension as their breathing heaves. The door is shut, but it isn't locked. Both of their bodies ignite with a spark of passion, they are quite close.

"Maybe a tattoo?" She murmurs against his lips, smiling wickedly. Her eyelids flutter shut as he stares so intently, his hand capturing her neck. His fingers fan over her jaw, holding her face steady in his large grip.

"Careful now. Anyone could walk in here," his eyes dart warily towards the door. There aren't any windows in the room either than the one that looks towards the grassy lawn. They are utterly alone, but anyone could walk in at any time.

"That's the thrill of it," she presses her lips against his lightly, holding onto the back of his neck. Moaning into her mouth at her sugary taste, his fingers tangle into her hair, pulling it harshly. He is utterly in control as Mara lets herself be devoured by his lips.

Again she realizes that she is ruined for anyone else. They will never make her feel like she can't get enough. She is addicted to Elias, he is her drug and she needs a constant fix.

Mara will fascinate her dire attention on people a lot and attach herself to them. Like Ryn, she won't leave the poor girl alone for months. But she's never felt this connected to a person before, like she isn't able to live without him.

The feeling that she may die if he ever leaves her.

One of his hands leaves her hair, gripping her hip bone. She hadn't realized she was moving against him slowly, the air suffocatingly hot around them. He caresses his lips harder against hers, moving from her mouth to her jaw in a heated trail of small kisses.

He trails down her neck, following his slowly dragging finger. He groans against her as she whimpers, pulling him into her harder. The tension is building in her stomach as she brings his lips back to hers. Catching his bottom one between hers.

Knuckles rapping against the door bring them back to existence. Elias drags away from her lips as Mara's eyes squeeze tighter shut. He moves her off his lap, kissing the top of her head lightly and stalking towards the door.

It is just Nancy, one of his coworkers, telling him that his boss is looking for him. Her silvery hair is pinned up as she gives him a once-over at his state, his outfit in disarray, his hair clearly a mess. Elias thanks her, careful to keep the door closed enough she wouldn't see Mara, who looks, if possible, even more a mess. Her hair is all sort of tangled, her clothes crumpled as he had fisted her shirt eagerly.

Shutting the door swiftly behind him, Elias steps back to Mara who peeks her eyes open. He is smirking, holding his hands out to hers in offering. She takes it, letting him pull her upright. Fixing her tousled hair in her reflection off the glass, frowning at her bruised lips.

She is always left so confused after kissing him like she is drunk or something. Her mind can't ever seem to keep up with the emotions she exhibits.

"So a tattoo, huh," he brushes against her lips, kissing her swiftly. She's left cold as he steps back from her, nodding for her to leave before him. He laughs at her confused expression, her nose scrunched up as her eyebrows furrow.

Shaking her head with an airless laugh, Mara regains her composure. Putting back on her strong front and slinging her backpack over her shoulders. She grinned evilly towards Elias. He just watches, slightly amused and entirely dazed by her.

"I have a world to go destroy. Call you after?" She smiles, squeezing his bicep, walking backwards towards the door. That signature smirk etched on her now swollen lips.

"Have fun," he waves, winking.

They are both wholly ruined.

---

Authors Note:

Kinda just a filler chapter but it's meant to set up the next chapter- and like ten after it so... It's going to be good, trust the process.

There's lots of foreshadowing in this chapter.

Anyways...thoughts?

Like, comment, and follow.

- Nia

Edited 4/4/22